Separator for wells.



J. K. PUTNAM.

SEPAHATOR FOR WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. I9II.

Patented Sept.

2 bHEETS-SHEETI il .51S

J. K. PUTNAM..

SEPARATOR FOR WELLS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. IsI z.

Patented Sept. 24,v 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- useful lVells; and I do declare the 4fol-lowing Ato be.

` UNITED STATES lrnfrlinwr yonirica.

JAMES K. rU-TNAM, or. TULSA, OKLAHOMA'.

snPAnATon ron` WELLs.

Applicationmed september 24, 1917. `serial-im. 193,026.

To all wh'otz't ma'y concern.' Beit .known that I, JAMES K. PUTNAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tulsa,` in the county of Tulsaand State of Oklahoma, have inventedcertain new and Improvements in' Separators' for i a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichv it appertains to make and use the same; My invention relates to improvements -1n i separators suchA as those employed in oil wells for separating the gas and sand from the liquid, so that they are prevented from enterin the working parts of the pump, in

. which t ey are very inJurious; .and the prin- "cipal objectof my invention is to provide a separator of this .class which may.A be' 1 thereof;

icient and durable.

easily'and inexpensively manufactured' and marketed, yet one which will be highly ef- IVith the lforegoing general object. in view,

the invention resides in the novel features `25 of constructionrand uni ue'cornbinationof parts tobe hereinafter ullydescrib'edand claimed,A the descriptive matter being supplemented by the'accompanyin drawings which form part ofthis speci cation and in which;

Fig. 2 isa vertical longitudinal section Figs. 3 and 4-.are horizontal sections on the planes indicated by the llines -3-3 and 44ofFig.2.

Fig. 5 is a verticalsectionsimilar'to the upper end off'Fig. 2 vbutillustrating the float valve in, openedv position; and

Fig. 6 is ah rizontal section of Fig. of the plane of: he -line 6-6 thereof;

In the drawings above briey described,

"the numeral 1 designates a vertically dis posed. cylindrical barrel whose upper end is connected by a suit-able reducer 2, .v with 'a nipple 3 which is in turnconnected to the suction .line/1 of acommon type ofwpump.- The lower end of the barrel 1 is joined by a.

reducer 5 to the usual or any preferred type of hollow anchor 6 into which the sand and the" like separated from the liquid, y deposited.

Thelbarrel 1 i'sbdivided bya horizontal artition or packer 7, into an upper separat- 'ing chamber 8 vand a lower inlet chamber 9,

.Specicationof Letters I Pate'nt. f

PatentedlSept. 24, 19,158.l

. -the former being .of greater height thanthe latter. The'upper, and lower ends ofthe inlet chamber 9 are formed with 'oil and water inlet openings 10 and 11 respectively, said openings being formed through the barrel l as shown clearly'in Figs. land 2.

the oil, may rise to the top of the chamber 9 and escape through' the perforations 10.

order that anyl gas w ich may enter with v It is also possible that gas may enter with the water through 'theopenin'gs 11, but lt'he water current' is forced to so travel as .to permit this as to escape totheupper end of the cham er1 The water travel is con.-`

trolled in this manner'by a circular upstanding' bailleJ wall- 12 which rises from l the reducer 5 to. a point above' the openings l1, the lower end of said. Wall being preferably perforated at 13 to :permit any sand or the like which may' collect outside of the same, to pass into said .wall to be carried therefrom into the separating chamber 8.

A vertical pipe 14 extends from a point adjacent the lower end of the'inlet chamber 9, through the partition 7 and into the lower end of the separating' chamber 8,the upper end of said pipe 14 being by preference `enlarged as indicated at 15, although this construc-tion is not absolutely essentlal.- It will be observed that the. lower end of pipe 14 is positioned within the wall 12,"sol that the .i

water entering the perforations 1I cannot flow directly to said` pipe, but musttakeja tortuo'us course so at most of thepgas will be. separated from to the 4top of the chamber 9. 'Positioned within the upper endjof the pipe 14, is a helical webl 16 'of any suitable construction function of this web towhirl ythe rising e water ardcwill rise liquid around, so that as'it leaves the upper l end of 'the pipe, it will be thrown .outwardly 'by centrifugal-force. In moving outwardly 1.10. in this manner, the liquid is separated from the sand .and the gas. The sand, being the4 .10b and rigidysecrea' iplace, it being the heaviest material, will drop around the pipe 14 to the bottom of the separating chamber 8 from which it passes through a pair of nipples 17 and-a -vertical pipe 18, into the hollow anchor 6, thelower end of said pipe having a suitable check valve 19 as shown vclearly iii Fig, 2.' The pipe 18 is positioned centrally within the pipe 14 and passes through the bottom of the inlet chamber 9,

said lbottom being formed by a suitable packer or the like 2O secured in the upper end of the anchor 6.

Since any gas rising through the pipe 14 with the liquid, is too light to be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, it will rise into the hood 21 which is positioned above the upper end of said pipe, a vertical outlet pipe 2 2 being provided from said hood to the exterior of the barrel 1. The pipe 22 includes an elbow 23 in which is located a. `check valve 24, the weight of this valvebeing such as to permit the gas tounseat the samev between the working strokes of the pump. The valve in question, however, prevents the entrance of air upon each suction stroke of the pump as willbe readily understood. t

The oil, after being separated from the sand and gas, is drawn upwardly through the nipple 3 and the suction line 4 by the operation of the pump; and since itis essential that the entire separating device be submerged in order to properly operate, the

nipple in question vis provided with means for automatically admitting airto the suction liner4, whenever, the liquid within the well, lowers beyond a predetermined level.

This means could well be embodied in a number of forms, .but for illustrative purposes, al casing 25 is shown mounted within the nipple by means of upper and lower nipples 26 and 27 which place said casing in l v communication with thewell. The top of the casing 25 is provided with an airport-28, and a float valve 29I is mounted in said casing for closing this port as long as this float is buoyed upwardly by the liquid entering the casing 25 through the lower vpassage 27. -lVliem however,

the liquid within the well lowers beyond the level of this passage, the float `automatically drops toopen the port-28 as disclosed in Fig. 5. vThe result is that instead of creating suction through the sepa-rator and' drawing liquid upwardly therethrough, t-he suctinon line 4 draws air through the upper passage 26 and the port 28, thus automatically7 checking the supply of liquid from the pump and signifying to the operator that the separator must be further lowered in order that it may operate as in tended.

In operation, the separator ispositioned within the well as indicated in Fig. 2, so that the perfoiations 10 are located 'within the oil stratmin whereas the openings 11 are po- Lerares sitioned within the water below. When the pump is operated in the usual manner, an upward suction is created `through the entire device, so that oil and water are drawn Y i pipe line 22.` Asthe liquid is discliarged,

the web 16 acts in 'such a manner that it is thrown outwardly'by centrifugal force, thus permitting sand and the-like todrop intov vthe lower yend ofthe separating chamber 8, whereas the liquid is drawn from said-chainber through the nipple 3 and suction line 4. .All deleteriousy matter dropping into the lower .end of the separating chamber 8,\is carried therefrom through the nipples 1T and pipe 18, this matter being deposited iii the hollow anchor 6 so that it can give no further trouble. Whenever the liquid in the well lowers to an extent to expose the passage 27, the iioat valve 29 automatically opens to suspend the passage of liquid through the suction line 4 by admitting air to this line. erator that the entire pump line must be lowered before further extraction of oil takes place.

The mingling of the water and oil and the Thisnsignies to the op-` simultaneously pumping out of the two, by

the improved separator, is a highly advantageous feature, since by the addition of water to the oil, a comparatively thin liquid mixture results'to more readily permit the -saiid and the like to be separated therefrom than fromv the relatively thick oil without water. At the upper endof the pipe 14, a

` considerable `quantity of the water will drop by gravity from' the oil andv will serve to wash the collected sand and the like from the lower end of the separating chamber through the pipe 18 and intov the anchor 6. The amount of water drawn from the separator' with the oil, may easily be removed in any of the well knownways.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be obvious that although .the improved separator is ofcomparati'vely simple and ineX- pensive "construction, it -will be highly effi- Since probably the best cient and durable. results are obtained from the several specific details shown and described, these fea,-

tures constitute the preferred foriiiof the device. but I wish it understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed. nu.- inerous mmm' changes mav well be made.

ing such gas to1 the exterior of the separating outwardly by centrifugal force as said liquid,l

`'connection to a pump, an 'inlet passage into the lower end of sald chamber, 'a hood over chamber, and mean'sat the upper end of said inlet passage for throwing the liquid is discharged therefrom. A

, 2. In a separator of the class described, the combination of aseparating chamber having a liquid outlet in its upper-end for said inlet passage to receive any gas rising V gas to the exterior of the separating chamj er,the upper end of said inlet passage betherethrough, and means for conveying such ing of helical formation to throw the liquid having a liquid .outlet at its upper end for.

connection to a pump, an inlet pipe rising ing means at its upper end for throwing the ascend-ing liquid outwardly by centrifugal into the lower end of said chamber and havforce, to permit heavy Vsubstances to fall into the lower end of said chamber, a hollow anchor positioned below said chamber, and

an outlet pipe leading from the lower end of said chamber through said inlet pipe and discharging int-o said anchor.

7 "In a separator of the class described, i 4

the combination of aseparating chamber` having a.liquid 1outlet in its top, an inlet chamber below said/separating chamber and -pipefor collecting and carrying ot 'all gas rising therethroughoutwardly by centrifugal force, thus separating such liquid from the gas. l l

3. In a separator of the classdescrlbed,

- the combination of aseparatingY chamber -havinga liquid outlet in its upper 'end for connection to a pump, an inlet-pipe lrising into the lower end 'ofsaid chamber, a hood over said pipe to collect any gas rising therethrough, means for vconveying such gas to the exteriorof the separatlng chamber, and

a helical web in said pipe for throwing the Aliquid `outwardly from the u pper end thereof by centrifugal force, to separate such A liquid from' the gas.

4. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a separating chamber having a rliquid outlet at its upper end for connection to a pumpyan inlet pipe rising into the lower end ofsaid .chamber and-having meansat its upper end for throwin the ascending liquid outwardly by centri gal force, to permit heavy substances to fall into .the lower` end of said chamber, a hollow aninto the lower end of said chamber and havl chor depending from said chamber, .and an outlet from the lower end of said'chamber' into. said anchor. f

5. In a separator 'of the class described, the combination of a separating chamber having aliquid outlet at its upperend for connection to apump, an inlet pipel rising ingnean's at and within its upper end for throwing the ascending liquid outwardly by centrifugal force, to permit heavy substance to fall into the lower end-of said chamber,

and an outletppipe from the lower end'ofsaid chamber, said pipe leading downwardly;k

throughy said inlet pipe to the exterior of the chamber. 'A

v6. In a separator of the class described, the combination `of a separating chamber having inlet perforations in its upper end, a vertical pipe in said inlet chamber leading from a point near the`lower end thereof into said separatingchamber, means in said pipe for throwlg the ascending liquid outwardly by centrifugal 'force and means over said rising therethrough.. l

8. In a separator of the class described, the combination of a separating chamber', an inlet chamber below said separating chamber and having `oil inlet perforations at its upper end and water inlet perforations at its lower end, a Avertical pipe in said inlet chamber leading from a point near-the lower and a bale wall surrounding the lower end of said pipe and extending to a level above said water inlet perforations.

9. The combination with a submerged separator and a suction line for drawing liquid therethrough, ,of a port for admitting air into said suction line, and a float valve for' closing said port until the liquid in the well has lowered to a pre-determined level.

l0. An oil well separator having independent oil and water inlets for disposition respectively. in the oil and water stratay of the well, means for conducting the. mixture of oil and water upwardly through the separator, and means for throwing this mixture outwardlyl by centrifu al force to permit any sandcarried therein, and a large proportionof the water. to fall by gravity.

11. In a separator of the class described,

rel divided by a partition into a lower inlet end thereofinto said separating chamber, I

lic

lthe combination of avertically disposed bar- Chamber and en upper Separating chambers l said inlet chambery having' means .for admitting' liquid .and permit ting fthe escape of gas, a passageleadmg from said inlet chamber into saidseparating chamber, means at4` the upper .end of said passage for throwing the` liquid outwardlyv by centrifugal force,

1 means above said passage for carrying olf any. gas rising therethrough, an outlet pas-` sagefor any foreign matterdropping into the separating chamber-,from the liquid, and

'forconnection 'to a pump.

an y'outlet yfrom the upper end off said barrel a vertical pipe rising from a point adjacentv Athe lower end of the inletchamber into the 12. In a separator of the class described,

the combination of a vertically disposed bar-V n lower en d lof the separating chamber, the

l upper end of said pipe having therein a helical web for throwing the ascending liquid outwardly by centrifugal. force, to permit any foreign matter therein t0 .drop to the lower end of said separating chamber, an

witnesses.

outlet from said end adapted to convey said foreignv matter to the exterior of the Separator, means above said helical web for carrying off any gas discharged from said pipe, and an outlet from the upper end of the separating chamber adapted for connection to a pump.

.In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing v J` JAMES K. PUTNAM. Witnesses:

MAX WEHNERT, E. D. F ORQUER. 

